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Pigs: Urban waste recycling
Urban waste recycling is a process of converting leftover material, such as garbage and food into a reusable form, particularly in urban environments.1 Ways to reduce waste In urban areas, pigs provide an impactful way to recycle because they help reduce food waste. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends ways to reduce waste and the use of animals; pigs, in particular, are an efficient and effective way to do that. The primary ways that they recommend to reduce waste is by first reducing the amount of food scraps, then donating excess food to food banks and shelters, and/or providing food scraps to farmers and composting .2 The use of pigs in recycling The use of pigs and urban waste recycling is seen mostly in farming. Pig farmers are among the groups that are reusing the largest quantities of urban organic wastes. Recycling organic waste in urban farming is an impactful approach to fighting urban waste management problems, which also makes urban agriculture more sustainable .3 For farmers, commercial food for pigs can be expensive so many farmers turn to organic scraps to feed their pigs. This technique is used in many countries. The pigs eat the organic waste and then the rest of the trash is sorted into different categories, such as plastic, paper and cans.4 Pigs can be an essential part of the recycling and sorting system. The risks and regulations While using pigs can be an effective method to recycle, there are certain items that should not be fed to pigs for sanitary reasons. In the 1930s there were studies that showed that the use of kitchen waste as feed was an important factor in the parasite infection of pigs.5 If people ate this animal, they could also be infected if the meat was undercooked. Households continued to feed waste to pigs throughout the 1950s. Eventually, the Public Health Service prohibited the feeding of uncooked food to pigs. In the past 50 years, the use of pigs for recycling has declined. By 1960, only 4% of collected food wastes in the U.S. were still fed to pigs.6 Today, converting food into feed for pigs is regulated by the Federal Swine Health Protection Act, which requires that all food must be boiled before feeding it to pigs. Regulations vary depending on the state. Also, facilities conducting the boiling must be registered with the USDA or the animal or agriculture health official located in the state.7 Cooking oil: A safe product to feed to pigs One example of something that is acceptable to feed to pigs is cooking oil. Recycled cooking oil is oil that comes from deep fryers that is filtered and collected in clean containers.8 However, farmers need to make sure that the oil is acquired from reliable sources to prevent other materials, such as food scraps and other liquids, from getting in the oil. The National Pig Association supports using pigs for recycling, however, it mentions that some measures are achievable while others are foolish. Many farmers and organizations debate whether or not it is acceptable to feed swill (scraps of waste food mixed with water) to pigs. According to experts in the industry, no food is waste if it can be safe and nutritious to pig’s diets.9 If food scraps couldn’t go to the pigs, they would then go to the landfill. A Midwest example At Schwartz Farms, Inc. located in Sleepy Eye, Minn., they are committed to taking care of the environment. At their pig farm, the Schwartz family has an obligation to recycle. They use pig manure to fertilize the land where they plant corn, and then the corn is later made into feed for the pigs and the cycle continues.10 This image is displayed on the right side. Another example of using pigs to recycle is at the University of St. Thomas in its dining services.11 A pig farmer, Pete Barthold, picks up food from the university daily. He then drives back to his farm in Andover, Minn., where he feeds nearly 3,000 pigs the leftovers from local restaurants, hotels and the St. Thomas dining services. To prevent parasites and other bacteria from getting into the food that the pigs will eat, Pete cooks the food to 200 degrees. This approach not only reduces food waste, but it is also cheaper than having a garbage company haul it away. References 1 Merriam-Webster Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recycling 2 Recycling organic wastes in urban agriculture. The Urban Management Program. First Edition, No. 5. March 2003. 3 Dulac, Nadine. Recycling urban organic wastes in agriculture. 2001. 4 Recycling organic wastes in urban agriculture. The Urban Management Program. First Edition, No. 5. March 2003. 5 Gandy, Matthew. Recycling and the Politics of Urban Waste. St. Martin’s Press. New York: 1994. 6 Gandy, Matthew. Recycling and the Politics of Urban Waste. St. Martin’s Press. New York: 1994. 7 Wastes: Resource conservation and food waste. United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/fd-animals.htm 8 Morgan, Jayce. Recycled Cooking Oils: Their use in pig feed. Primefacts. NSW Government. 2009. 9 NPA position on feeding ‘waste food’ to pigs. NFU. Great Britain: 2013. 10 Schwartz Farms, Inc. 2014. http://www.schwartzfarms.com/our-philosophy/ 11 Pagano, Zach. Can’t finish caf meal? These pigs will. TommieMedia.com. 2009. http://www.tommiemedia.com/news/cant-finish-caf-meal-these-pigs-will/